Top 5 rail journeys: Travel the old-fashioned way, by train, to your next destination

There was once a time when travellers didn’t have to get manhandled by frisky airport security just for forgetting to take their watches off.

Luckily, this type of more relaxed travel still exists, so why not try an old-fashioned train ride to your next destination?

You can see what actually exists between point A and point B, getting to know the landscape of a country from the comfort of your seat, and often even the locals who come and go en route.

1. Moscow to Beijing

The Trans-Mongolian journey between Moscow and Beijing is one of the most popular rail trips on any traveller’s bucket list. It runs along the world’s longest railway, the Trans-Siberian, which is a staggering 9289km and spans seven time zones.

This particular journey gives passengers the chance to experience the scenery of the East at any time of year, meaning you won’t necessarily have to cram a furry ushanka hat into your suitcase.

The development of the Trans-Siberian line began under the reign of Emperor Alexander III, who contemplated its construction for 25 years before ordering his son, Nicolas, to build the railway.

Nicolas even laid the first rock and silver plate in the ground himself. He left the difficult task of blowing up mountains and manoeuvring tracks around frozen lakes to the builders, who managed to lay 600km of track each day with their frostbitten fingers.

The weekly train from Moscow to Beijing leaves every Tuesday evening and takes six nights to travel 7621km. The first days are spent winding through Siberia, where heavy industry, wooden houses and endless birch trees provide much of the scenery.

You’ll stop at Irkutsk to see Lake Baikal, before continuing on to the mountains that border Mongolia. The journey continues through the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, where you’ll make a quick stop before riding on into the stark landscape of the Gobi Desert, before finally rolling into China’s capital Beijing. What a trip.

2. Mumbai to Delhi

Is the Indian Maharaja Deccan Odyssey a train or a dramatic Bollywood movie on wheels?

Either way, we’re not complaining. The route connects Mumbai and Delhi via Rajasthan, and takes a week, so your journey could include cave excursions at Ajanta, a jungle safari at Sawai Madhopur and, of course, that all important photo op at the Taj Mahal.